- Prescribing Advice for GPs - https://www.prescriber.org.uk -

SMC Update - May 2010

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has issued its monthly advice on new medicines.

Telmisartan (Micardis®) has been rejected for use in cardiovascular prevention and in type 2 diabetes with documented target organ damage. The manufacturer failed to make a submission.

Sitagliption / Metformin (Janumet®) has been accepted for restricted use as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is restricted to use in patients for whom a combination of sitagliptin and metformin is an appropriate choice of therapy and only when the addition of sulphonylureas to metformin monotherapy is not appropriate.

Extended release nicotinic acid / laropiprant (Tredaptive®) has bee accepted for restricted use in the treatment of dyslipidaemia, particularly in patients with combined mixed dyslipidaemia and in patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia as monotherapy in patients in whom HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors [statins] are considered inappropriate or not tolerated.

Action: Clinicians should be aware of the recommendations of the SMC. Routine use of rejected and restricted medicines should be avoided.